The scholarships are awarded to high school seniors in the Madison-Oneida BOCES region who plan to pursue a career in teaching. Upcoming fields of study include early childhood and special education for Closinski, the daughter of Leah and Joseph Closinki; elementary education with a concentration in social studies for Hartman, the daughter of Terry and Linda Hartman; and music for Yeoman, the daughter of Michelle and Michael Yeoman.

The scholarships were created in 1988 in honor of the late Andrew D. Rossetti, an Oneida resident and district superintendent of Madison-Oneida BOCES from 1973-1984. He devoted over 34 years of his life to the educational field overall, BOCES has said.

Awards were presented to this year’s recipients by Lillian Rossetti, Andrew Rossetti’s widow. The scholarship fund has awarded more than $60,000 to over 70 local graduates since 1988.